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† THE GLASS FACTORY. †
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.~~;%#¶### SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN #%;~~.....
......~~;% STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. %;~~......
.......~~; FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ;~~.......
........~~ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ~~........
.........~ AND A GIFT SHOP. ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ~.........
........~~ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ~~........
.......~~; CONSIDERED POOR. ;~~.......
......~~;% %;~~......
.....~~;%# THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# #%;~~.....
......~~;% THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S %;~~......
.......~~; A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ;~~.......
........~~ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ~~........
.........~ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ~.........
.......... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ..........
.........~ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~; †† ;~~.......
......~~;% †† †† %;~~......
.....~~;%# ~~~~~~~ † † ~~~~~~~ #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ †† †† ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# †† #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF #%;~~.....
......~~;% DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO %;~~......
.......~~; ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ;~~.......
........~~ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ~~........
.........~ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ~.........
........~~ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ~~........
.......~~; IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ;~~.......
......~~;% INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE %;~~......
.....~~;%# IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH #%;~~.....
......~~;% STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE %;~~......
.......~~; BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ;~~.......
........~~ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ~~........
.........~ LIT FROM BEHIND. ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ~.........
........~~ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ~~........
.......~~; WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ;~~.......
......~~;% LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN %;~~......
.....~~;%# ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### †† ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## †† †† ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# ~~~~~~~ † † ~~~~~~~ #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ †† †† ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# †† #%;~~.....
......~~;% %;~~......
.......~~; MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ;~~.......
........~~ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ~~........
.........~ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ~.........
.......... IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ..........
.........~ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ~.........
........~~ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ~~........
.......~~; CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ;~~.......
......~~;% SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND %;~~......
.....~~;%# PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO #%;~~.....
......~~;% THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. %;~~......
.......~~; IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ;~~.......
........~~ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ~~........
.........~ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ~.........
........~~ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ~~........
.......~~; CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ;~~.......
......~~;% BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT %;~~......
.....~~;%# FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## FLOOR. ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE #%;~~.....
......~~;% LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, %;~~......
.......~~; WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ;~~.......
........~~ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ~~........
.........~ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ~.........
.......... THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ~~........
.......~~; WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ;~~.......
......~~;% MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A %;~~......
.....~~;%# WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## BECOME STILL. ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## †† ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# †† †† #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ ~~~~~~~ † † ~~~~~~~ ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# †† †† #%;~~.....
......~~;% †† %;~~......
.......~~; ;~~.......
........~~ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ~~........
.........~ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ~.........
.......... BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ..........
.........~ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ~.........
........~~ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ~~........
.......~~; FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ;~~.......
......~~;% SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, %;~~......
.....~~;%# AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. #%;~~.....
....~~;%#¶ ¶#%;~~....
...~~;%#¶# SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER #¶#%;~~...
..~~;%#¶## THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ##¶#%;~~..
.~~;%#¶### GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ###¶#%;~~.
..~~;%#¶## I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ##¶#%;~~..
...~~;%#¶# THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? #¶#%;~~...
....~~;%#¶ ¶#%;~~....
.....~~;%# I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. #%;~~.....
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